Crane and supporting structure therefor.



No, 756,932. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904- V. R. BROWNING.

CRANE AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE THEREFOR. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 22, 1901.

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PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

V. R. BROWNING. CRANE AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE THEREFOR.

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V. R. BROWNING. CRANE AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE THEREFOR.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 22. 1901.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR R. BROWNING,

OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,932, dated April 12, 1904.

Application filed June 22, 190 1.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VICTOR R. BROWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cranes and Supporting Structures Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the supporting structure for the cranes which are employed in shipyards, dry-docks, and similar places, to the specific construction of the cranes, and also to the general arrangement of the structure and the tracks upon which the cars travel in bringing the material to the desired position for use.

The objects of my invention are to provide a strong and convenient crane-supporting structure which is entirely under roof, and which consequently affords protection to the workmen at all seasons of the year, to place within said structure cranes for lifting, carrying, and delivering material for use 1n the construction of vessels, the cranes being of.

such character that they can reach the material on the cars as they stand within the crane structure and deliver the same to the part of the vessel for which it may be intended even if that part is beyond the center or toward the farther side of the vessel, and to so arrange the cranes that one or more may serve the same berth. These objects I attain by the use i of the structure shown in the drawings, in which- Figure 1is an endelevation of a crane structure, showing in dotted lines the position of the vessels within the same and the arrangement of the cranes, delivering-cars, &c. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on a plane through Fig. 1 just to the right of the center tower of the structure. Fig. 3 is a plan View of one of the several cranes which may be accompanying employed in the crane structure. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same and shows the runways upon which the crane travels longitudinally of the cranestructure. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the crane, the crane-trolley being removed. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the crane-trolley, and Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the sam Serial No. 65,568. (No model.)

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In structures of this character it is highly desirable that the material for use in the construction of the vessels be transported by rail close to the parts of the vessel to which it is to be applied. When so transported, it should be possible to have the crane structure so arranged that the large cranes could pick up the material from the cars, carry it and deliver it to the exact places in the vessel where it is to be employed. In order to secure these. advantages, I provide my crane structure with three upright elongated frames or towers 1, 2, and 3, which are clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. These towers each consist of two rows of upright posts 4, which rest upon suitable foundations 5. The two rows of posts in each tower are strengthened by means of transverse bracings 5, and the upright posts in the inner rows of the outside towers and in both rows of the inner tower 2 are strengthened by means of longitudinal bracings 6. As shown in Fig. 2, these longitudinal bracings extend only a short distance upward in order 7 to leave considerable space above the same for a purpose hereinafter stated.

Resting upon towers l and 2 and forming a rigid connection between the same are trusses 7, and similar trusses 8 connect the towers 2 and 3. The vessels are constructed on ways which are arranged between the towers underneath the trusses and are shown in dotted lines at 9 and 10. The trusses support a roof 8, which covers the berth and alfords protection to the workmen, thus making it possible to proceed with the construction of vessels regardless of the condition of the weather.

In order to bring the material which is to be used in the construction of the vessels alongside the same opposite the point where it is to be used, I arrange within the base of each of the supporting-towers railway-tracks 11,

upon which travel cars 12, which are loaded with the material. Inasmuch as the cars are within the base of the towers, it is necessary to have a special form of crane which is capable of reaching through the tower, so that which are supported from the lower portion.

of the trusses 7 and 8 attheir centers. While a greater number of'cranes may be employed, Fig. 1 shows the crane structure as furnished with. four overhead travelingcranes15, which travel backwardand forward on the runways 13 and 14. over the vessels which are being.

constructed, there being two cranes to each vessel. The bridge of these cranes consist of anouter sheath or body 16, which i s-open at its ends and on its lower -side,and of a beam, hereinafter described, which telescopes-therewith. The sides of thiscrane-body are built up preferably of large plate-girders, and the top of the same consists -of lateral bracings 17, which-extend obliquely from side to side of the body, and cross-bars 18, which extend across the body at right anglesto the length of the same and are joinedat their ends to supporting angle-irons 19. These angle-irons extend downwardly and at their lower end are secured to the main body, asshown in Fig. 4. While I have shown this system of bracing as one which is desirable to use in actual engineering practice, at the same time many other systems could be employed,-and I do not desire it to be understood thatI consider this particular system of bracing as being one of theessential features of my invention.

In order to support the crane-body 16, I constructat each-end thereof a carriage consisting ofupper-and lower box-girders 20 and 21, to which the body is suitably secured.

Journaled in bearings in this carriage are track-wheels 22, which travel upon the runways 13 and 14, heretofore referred to. The

crane-bodyis caused to travelalong these runways by-an electric motor 23,which is mounted upon the upper portion of the body near its center. This motor drives, by-means of gearing 24 and 25, a shaft 26, which extends.

lengthwiseof the-crane-body between the carriages at the ends thereof and which carries on its ends pinions'27. These pinions mesh with gear-wheels 28'on the axles of two of the track-wheels 22 which are on one side of the crane-body. It will be seen that when the electric motor is operated the crane-body will be caused to travel backward and forward on its runways, the direction of travel being dependent upon the direction of rotationof the motor.

It will be noticed that the crane-body extends no farther than'the distance between the runways 13 and 14. In order that the crane may reach beyond these runways to gather up the material from the car 12 and to deliver it to a part of the vessel beyond the farther runway, I mount within the crane-body a telescopic beam 29, which, as shown, is of substantially the same length as the body. This telescopic beam is provided with, preferably, three sets of track-wheels 30, which travel upon runways 31 arranged within the cranebody 16 and extended longitudinally thereof. Oppo'sitely-arranged runways 32 are placed over the track-wheels 30 for a purpose hereinafter made to appear. In order to move the telescopic beam back and forth within the crane-body, I mount, preferably on the upper portion of thesaid body near its center, a second electric motor 33,which is geared,through a train of gear-wheels 34, 35, 36, and 37 to a shaft 38, which is suitably journaled to the top of thecrane-body. This shaft 38 has secured to it a pairof pulleys or drums 39, about which are wound ropes or cables 40. These ropes extend from the drums 39 in each direction, and-atthe ends of the crane-body they pass over pulleys 41. The ends of the ropes are then brought toward each-other and are secured to the upper bracing of the telescopic beam at points shown at 42. From this description it will be understood that when the motor 33 is driven the ropes 40 will be driven by the-drums 39, so as to pull the telescopic lbeam backward and forward within the cranebody 16. With the structure shown it is practical to extend the telescopic beam from either end of the body for substantially half of its length, which practically gives the crane a span which is twice the length of the distance between the runways 13 and 14. When the beam 29 is extended from the end of the crane-body and the trolley with its load carried to the fartherend thereof, there will be a tendencyof the track-wheel 30 at the opposite end to rise from the runways 31. In order to prevent this result, I place the runways 32, heretofore described,over therunway-pulleys 30,50 that they will engage with the trackwheelsand hold them down. The telescopic beam, like the crane-body 16,- is composed of a framework which is open below, the sides being formed of plate-girders and the upper portion of oblique lateral bracings 43, which appear in Fig. 3. As stated with reference to the bracing for the frame-body, I regard this structure as practicable and desirable; but it is by no means an essential part of my invention.

Mounted upon runways 44 within the telescopic beam 29 so as to travel back and forth thereon is the trolley 45, which is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7 of thedrawings. This trolley is provided with the usual track-wheels 46,which are mounted upon shafts 47 and 48 and which travel upon the runways 44. In order to move the trolley back and forth within the telescopic beam, I mount thereon an electric motor 49, which drives, by means of the gears 50 and 51, the shaft 47, to which two of the track-wheels 46 are secured. The motor 49 may be driven in either direction, which will cause the trolley to move in either direction desired along the telescopic beam.

52 is the hook to which the material to be lifted is attached. This hook is raised and lowered by means of a rope or cable 53, which has its opposite ends secured to the hoistingdrum 54, near its ends. Passing from one end of this drum the cable 53 extends downwardly and around sheave 55 on the block of the hook 52, thence upwardly and around a stationary sheave 56, which is journaled to thelower side of the trolley-frame, thence downwardly and around another sheave 57 in the block of the hook, and thence to the opposite end of the hoisting-drum. From this description it will be understood that when the hoistingdrum is rotated the opposite ends of the hoisting-cable 53 will be wound or unwound therefrom and the hook and its load will be correspondingly raised or lowered. In order to drive the hoisting-drum, I mount within the trolley an electric motor 58, which drives, through a train of gears 59, 60, 61, 62, and 63, a large gear-wheel 64, which is mounted, preferably, at the center of the hoisting-drum and is secured thereto.

In order that the operator of the crane may always be in a position to see to the best advantage just how to control the mechanism, I

build below the trolley 45 a platform or cage 65, within which the operator stands when the crane is in use. The mechanism is controlled by means of suitable levers or switches 66, which are arranged within easy reach of the operator from the cage.

It is often desirable in shipyards to fit the material in position and then to mark and punch the necessary rivet-holes in order that it may be secured in place. In order that this may be quickly and conveniently accomplished, I place railway-tracks 67 in the base of the towers 1, 2, and 3 alongside the tracks 11, and on these tracks I run cars carrying heavy electrically-driven punches 68. With this arrangement material may be taken from the car 12, elevated over the longitudinal bracing 6 in the towers, carried and placed in position in the vessel, and if it is then desired to punch the material so that it may be secured in place it may be again carried out in position over the punches 65, lowered and punched, and then returned to its position in the vessel.

While the drawings show two cranes for each berth, it is evident that a greater number than this can be employed, or, if desired, a single crane-body 16 could be extended across the entire berth. In this latter case the telescopic arm would be of substantially the same length as the crane-body, which would give the crane with this arm extended a very long reach. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A supporting structure, runways on said structure, a crane-body mounted for traveling on the runways, said body consisting of anopen-sided framework, a telescopic beam within-said body, means for moving said beam longitudinally within the body, and a trolley carried by the beam.

2. A supporting structure, runways on said structure, a crane-body mounted for traveling on the runways, a telescopic beam within said crane-body, a motor, a drum driven by said motor, a cable passing about said drum and secured to the telescopic beam whereby the beam may be moved within the crane-body, and a trolley carried by said beam.

3. A supporting structure, runways on said structure, a crane-body mounted for traveling on the runways, other runways within the crane-body, a beam within the crane-body and mounted for traveling on the runways therein, a motor mounted on the crane-body, a drum driven by said motor, a cable passing about said drum and secured to the beam whereby the latter may be moved within the crane-body, and a trolley carried by said beam.

4. A supporting structure, a crane-body mounted within said structure, a beam sup ported by said crane-body, means whereby the beam may be moved back and forth with reference to the crane-body, a trolley supported by said beam, an operators platform carried by the trolley, and means within reach of the operator on the platform for controlling the operations of the crane.

5. A supporting structure, runways on said structure, a crane-body mounted on said runways, a motor on said crane-body for propelling the same along the runways, runways on the crane-body, a beam supported upon these runways, a motor geared to the beam for moving it back and forth with reference to the crane-body, runways on the beam, a trolley supported upon these runways, and a :motor for moving the trolley back and forth on the beam.

6. In a ship-building plant, main supporting-towers extending alongside the berth on its opposite sides, trusses connecting said towers, a runway supported by one of said towers, an additional runway supported by the trusses, a crane body or bridge carried by said runways, a movable trolley supported from said crane-body, and means whereby the trolley may be caused to travel past the ends of said body for the purpose specified.

7. In a ship-building plant, main support- IIO ing-towers extending alongside the berth on opposite sides thereof, trusses connecting said towers, runways supported from said towers and trusses, a crane body or brldge supported by said runways, a telescopic beam mounted in said crane-body, means for moving the beam back and forth in the crane-body, and a trolley carried by said beam.

8. In a ship-building plant, main supporting-frames extending alongside the berth on its opposite sides, longitudinal bracings 6 for strengthening said frames, said bracings being omitted and the frames left open toward their tops, runways supported from said frames above the open portion thereof, crane-bodies mounted for traveling on said runways, means for delivering material for use alongside the supporting-frames outside the runways, and means carried by said crane-body for reaching through the open portion of the frames to reach the material, and for delivering it to the proper place for use.

9. In a ship-building plant, a crane-supporting structure which consists of open-work toward its top, a crane-body mounted for traveling on said structure opposite said open- .work, a telescopic beam carried by said crane-5 body, means for thrusting said beam out through the said open-work, and a trolley carried by said beam.

10. In a ship-building plant, a crane-supporting structure which consists of open-work toward its top, a crane-body mounted for traveling on said structure opposite said openwork, a telescopic beam carried by said cranebody, means for thrusting said beam out through the said open-work, a trolley carried by said beam, an operators platform carried by said trolley, and means within reach of the operator when on the platform for controlling the operations of the crane.

11. In a ship-building plant, main supporting-towers extending alongside the berth on opposite sides thereof, trusses connecting said towers, runways supported from said towers, a crane body or bridge supported on said runways, a telescopic beam mounted in said cranebody, means for moving the beam back and forth in the crane-body, and a trolley carried by said beam.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- VICTOR R. BROWNING.

Witnesses:

S. E. Fours, C. N. Fiscus. 

